Information Technology is a rapidly changing industry with constant changes in software technology. The IT industry is very volatile and demands very high quality of professionals. Preferably those who are internationally certified by I.T. Giants like, Microsoft Corp, Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation etc.

The adoption and use of new technology by the industry has led to continous change in manpower requirements. As a result, a professional needs to update regularly, to keep their skill sets industry-relevant. To keep up with the changing requirements of the Software Development Industry, an IT professional/job-seeker should not only be aware of and gain knowledge of new products, but should also get Certified by the Industry Leaders on their products.

Some employers require or prefer certain MCP, MCTS , MCPD, MCITP certifications for specific jobs that involve Microsoft products and technologies. Other vendors have their own certification programs.

Microsoft Certified Professional- MCP refers to the broad certification program for Microsoft, although in previous generations it also referred to an individual candidate who had completed any one exam within the program (subject to some exclusions).

The MCP program offers multiple certifications, based on different areas of technical expertise. To attain these certifications, a candidate must pass a series of exams within the program.

2. Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist -MCTS (SQL Server 2005) – For IT professionals who want to demonstrate their technical expertise in one of three areas: Implementation and Maintenance, Database Development, or Business Intelligence.

3. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer- MCPD (.Net 2.0) – For developers who want to demonstrate their advanced skills in one or more of three job-role tracks: Web Developer, Windows Developer and Enterprise Applications Developer.

4. Microsoft Certified I T Professional- MCITP (MS SQL 2005) – Builds on an MCTS pre-requisite and is designed for IT professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in using SQL Server 2008 for one of three specific job-roles: Database Administrator, Database Developer, or Business Intelligence Developer.

6. Microsoft Certified Professional Developer- MCPD (Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5)- Builds on an MCTS pre-requisite(s) and is designed for developers who want to demonstrate their expertise in using Visual Studio 2008 for one of three specific job roles: Windows Developer, ASP.NET Developer, or Enterprise Application Developer.

7. Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist -MCTS (SQL Server 2008)- For IT professionals who want to demonstrate their technical expertise in one of three areas: Implementation and Maintenance, Database Development, or Business Intelligence.

8. Microsoft Certified I T Professional- MCITP (MS SQL 2008)- Builds on an MCTS pre-requisite and is designed for IT professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in using SQL Server 2008 for one of three specific job-roles: Database Administrator, Database Developer, or Business Intelligence Developer.